Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Zulum, has disclosed that with the recent military onslaught and the massive laying down of weapons,
Boko Haram insurgency will soon end, God willing.
He disclosed this on Thursday to State House Correspondents after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
According to him, over 30,000 former fighters have now surrendered and are in the custody of the authorities.
He said the Borno state government does not offer any incentive to the fighters to come out of the forests, rather, they have done so voluntarily.
Zulum disclosed that he discussed the continuing surrender of the insurgents and the case of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) with the president.
He assured that the security situation in Borno state has improved considerably, hoping that things will continue in that direction.
Zulum reiterated that kinetic measures alone will not end the war and therefore advised that a political solution be applied.
He said: “As of now, we have received nothing less than 30,000 from beginning to date for both Boko Haram and ISWAP. ISWAP, we have started receiving them in few numbers, but Boko Haram, we have started receiving them in huge numbers.
“As I’ve been saying before, the kinetic measures alone will never end the insurgency. The social and political dimension of this crisis is very important.’
So we have decided to engage them through dialogue and mediation, with a view to ensuring that many of them should lay their arms.
“So far, so good, the objective started yielding positive results. Apart from this also, in the Borno State, for example, as I told you last time, we had problems on the shores of Lake Chad as well as in Southern Borno,
“I’m pleased to inform you that there was a very heavy military deployment into the southern Borno.
“And I hope such a deployment will also take place in northern Borno, with a view to clearing the ISWAP insurgents in Lake Chad. So, this has also yielded positive results.
“And then on the relocation of the two local Government Areas that last time, I said are not occupied by human beings, we are also doing very well with the military to see how we can return the population.
“The military has also given us the go-ahead. So we’re working with them to see how we can return them. Things are getting better in Borno State and this is the major reason why I came to see Mr President.
“The way we are going, with the support of the federal government with good management, Boko Haram will be over very soon.
“Insha Allah. Even now in Borno State, we’re doing very well, extremely well,” he said
When asked if he is saying it will end in 2023, he responded:
“Insha Allah. You know what I mean by Insha Allah, God willing.
“We don’t have any promissory notes, to defectors, honestly speaking. But you have to also understand one very important thing, there is a difference between those that have been captured and those that have surrendered.
“People should understand these two unidentical situations. Go back and Google and see the international conventions, rules, and regulations.
“There is a difference between those that have been captured and those that are willingly surrendered. And I’m calling upon all of you to give a very positive insight into this development.
“Because there’s nowhere in the whole world such a war ended with kinetic measures. There must be some certain political solutions and believe, if there is peace in Northeast and Borno, there will be peace in Northern Nigeria. If there is Peace in Northern Nigeria, there will be peace in southern Nigeria,” he added. More Pictures below:
Ime N
